Replacing one aft lower shroud without crane

[svlamorocha]

Hello everyone

This is about a 33-footer with 19/20 rig, double back stay and single spreaders. I have found a tiny crack in the lower swage of one of the aft lower shrouds and need to decide whether to replace it before I unstep the mast to change the whole rigging (scheduled for a couple years from now)

Has anyone replaced an aft lower shroud without a crane just by releasing tension of both aft lowers, going up with a bosun´s chair and replacing old with new, then coming down and tensioning back? I would appreciate info from those who have done it or know why it it is a bad idea.

Thanks

Charlie

[Suijin]

You can do that without any problems.

That is, provided everything else is in good enough shape to support the mast while you're up there. :P

[JeffBurright]

Yep, easy peasy. We replaced our backstay on a 30-footer by the method you describe. We attached the halyards to our aft cleats and cranked them tight for some additional insurance while we performed the maneuver, and there were no problems.

[FSMike]

As Suijin said, if everything else is in good shape should be easy.

[Stumble]

Easy enough to just change it out, but once I found a failed connection i would be highly suspicious of the rest of the rig, and at a minimum dye test everything. I probably wouldn't feel comfortable without changing it all out sooner rather than later however.

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Easy enough to just change it out, but once I found a failed connection i would be highly suspicious of the rest of the rig, and at a minimum dye test everything. I probably wouldn't feel comfortable without changing it all out sooner rather than later however.

We´ve dye tested everything.. I will change everything at 10 years anyway... More than that is pushing your luck in the Caribbean...

C